Process of forming photographic prints



(No Model.)

' S. P. SAMPOLO & G. L. A. BRASSEUR.

PROGBSSOP FORMING PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTS.

No. 571,314. Patented NQVLIO, 1896.

l i i WITNESSES: v INVENTORS:

v CEZZZ'QEW, I By t/mzrAtzamey lhvrTnn STATES PATENT FFTCE.

SEBASTIEN 1. SAMPOLO AND CHARLES L. A. BRASSEUR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO THE JOLY-SAMBRA' COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,314, dated November 10, 1896, Application filed April 14:, 1896. Serial No. 587,552. (N pecimens-l To (tZZ whmlb it ma/y concern.-

Be it known that we, SEBASTIEN P. SAM- POLO, a citizen of the Republic of France, and CHARLES L. A. BRAssEUR, a citizen of 5 the United States, both residents of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New Yorln'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Producing Printing-Surfaces by the Aid of Photography,

of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to produce printing-surfaces from a photograph from nature or artists work forcolor-priuting, whereby a print or engraving may be made which.

I 5 shall represent, as far as may be, the shading and colors of the original.

Heretofore in producing printing-surfaces for this purpose it has been customary to make three separate negatives of the object by sifting the light therefrom through or by means of three separate monochrome screens. To the eye these screens are respectively yellowish-green, violet-blue, and reddish-orange, though no fixed shade or tint of these colors is universally employed, for each operator appears to select these colors according to his judgment. From the three negatives made as described, each of which differs from an ordinary negative of the same 0 object only by the suppression of the action of certain Wave lengths or light of nature, the separate printing-surfaces are made'in several well-known manners. The printingsurfaces may be gelatin, or half-tone plates,

or the like, and from them impressions are taken in yellow, red, and blue inks upon paper, say, the impressions being superposed in register. Bythe superposition of these colors or some of them, in certain parts of 40 the picture the Various mixtures and shadings of color are produced.

As our invention may be comprehended best if explained in connection with drawings showinghow it is carried out, we will so explain it. p

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a face view illustrating a party-colored screen T, ruled in lines. Fig. 2 is an enlarged or detail 5o View of part of the screen shown in Fig. 1. Fig.8 is an edge View of the screen T and a plate having a sensitive film Nthereon. Fig.

i is a diagrammatic view showing the film N and screen T in a camera in readiness for exposu re to take a photograph. Fig. 5 is a view 5 5 illustrative of the appearance of a photograph taken through a screen T or by the method illustrated in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing how a photograph may be made in a camera by the use of a '60 black and white screen G and monochrome screens, and Fig. 7 is a like view illustrative of our method of forming a photographic print from any one of differing partial images forming a photographic representation of an object.

According to our invention we employ but one negative of the object, whether nature or artists work, and we proceed as follows: A sensitive film N, sensitized as far as may be for the visible rays of the spectrum is exposed under and in close contact with a takin g-screen T, having minute closely adjacent or adjoining areas of transparent colors of the required or desired light-selecting absorption powers. These minute areas of colors on the taking-screen may be of irregular shape and be irregularly distributed thereon, but We prefer to have these minute areas in the form of straight parallel lines 6 t 1?, run ning, say, two hundred or more to the inch, or they may be in the form of dots or geometrical figures. Every third line If or area is of a transparent yellowishgreen color; every third line 1?, again, is of a transparent violetblue color, and every third line i, again, is of a transparent reddish-orange color. It will be observed that these lines correspond in colors to the monochrome screens above described in conjunction with the old processes. The subdivided negative may also be formed as follows: A screen G, ruled in black (opaque) and white (transparent) lines, with the black lines at least twice as wide as the White, may be laid upon the sensitive film with its ruled side thereagainst and the whole be placed in a camera with the screen G toward the lens. The screen is movable to three successive positions and exposures are made for each of said positions, three separate I00 monochrome screens M, (yellowish-green,vio let-blue, and reddish-orange, respectively,) being used separately and successively, one for each of saidpositions. The subdivided negative thus formed is similar to the subdivided negative formed under the party-colored screen above described.

From the subdivided negatives so made (or made from a subdivided positive) we may form separate or independent printing-surfaces, one from and for each partial image, using the black and white screen G, above described. This screen G is so arranged relatively to the linear areas of the negative that the opaque lines thereof cover or stop out two 'of the partial images by lying paral lel to, over, and in contact with the linear areas of the negative containing them, while the White lines expose the third partial image. \Ve place a sensitive film in contact with the negative or screen and expose in the Well-known manner to obtain the print. In this case the action of the light may be diffused over the sensitive film by the screen and the print thus made be practically. continuous, (that is, not be separated into linear areas by blank spaces.) \Ve prefer, however, to place the screen G and negative and the sensitized film P in an enlarging and reducing or other camera, (see Fig. 7,) and expose the film therein to make the print. In this case the negative and screen and the plate carryin g the sensitive film are in parallel planes, and the negative and screen, or the plate carrying the sensitive film, or both, may be moved upon three successive positions in the plane or planes thereof in a direction preferably at right angles to the black and white lines of the screen, to expose new or additional areas of the print film to the action of the light from or through the exposed partial image. That is to say, the exposed partial image appears on a focusing-plate as in a series of lines separated by blank spaces. Of course the actinic action in the sensitive film'is practically confined to similar lines. If it is desired to have the print occupy more than the areas of the lines, the relative motion of the parts is employed to expose new or additional areas of the print film. It is obvious that prints for and from each partial image of the negative maybe made in a like manner.

Instead of the relative motion of the print film and the negative and screen we may expose all or the desired parts of the print film to the action of light from or through the exposed partial image by having the print film very slightly out of focus. From the positive partial images so obtained we proceed by any suitable or usual and well-known method to produce the required printing surfaces or blocks.

The reference-letters 0 Y9 B indicate the linear areas of the photograph, which respectively correspond to the lines 25 t t or the monochrome screens of corresponding colors.

\Ve may also proceed as follows in forming the partial positives from the subdivided negative: After developing the negative we may place the taking-screen upon it with the green lines thereof over and in contact with the areas of the negative formed under such lines, and so of the other colored lines of the screen and the corresponding areas of the negative. e proceed either by contact-printing or by means of a camera to form the separate positive images, interposing, however, between the sensitive film and the light a general or monochrome screen, a separate one for each partialimage. Thus if apositive corresponding to the red rays from the object originally photographed be desired the general screen so interposed, combined with the takingscreen, should only permit, so far as may be, the passage of light or wave lengths through those areas of the negative formed and lying under the yellowish-green lines of the screen. Similarly other general or monochrome screens are employed singly in conjunction with the taking-screen when obtaining partial positives corresponding to the other colors.

It is obvious that in forming the positive partial images as above described we may employ the wellknown lined or cross-lined screens commonly used in the half-tone processes, so called, or the use of the latter screens may be deferred to a subsequent step in the operation of forming printing-surfaces. It is not to be understood that our inven tion is limited to the production of partial positives from a subdivided negative, for we may form a subdivided positive from the subdivided negative and from such positive form partial negatives by the method above de scribed, wherein the black and white screen is employed, the procedure being the same and the result differing only in that we ob tain partial negatives instead of partial positives. From such partial negatives we may obtain printing-surfaces in any of the usual and well known ways. WVe may employ, if we so desire, at any suitable stage, the lined or cross-lined screens commonly used in the half-tone processes, so called. As in the case of the subdivided negative, we may proceed as follows in forming partial negatives from the subdivided positive: We place upon the subdivided positive a screen subdivided into differently-colored areas corresponding to and registering with those of the positive, as in the fundamental colors of the spectrumred, green, and blue-Violetinterpose between the sensitive film and the light general or monochrome screens of such nature that two of the partial images of the subdivided positive will be stopped out, while the light will pass through the general screen, the subdivided screen, and the remaining partial image of the subdivided positive to the sensi tive film. Different-colored general screens are employed to obtain the different partial images.

Since .the work of forming the partial positives or partial negatives can be done in the photographic studio or indoors, it is practically one and the same thing whether one employ the black and white screen or the partycolored screens and the monochrome-screens to stop out the partial images, for in the latter cases light only penetrates the combined screens in the desired places and is stopped elsewhere, just as with the black and white screen.

While the case of a photographic subdivided representation (positive or negative) composed of three differing discontinuous partial images has been taken as an example, it is not to be understood that the invention is confined to such a case, for in some cases but two colors are wanted, as in mounts for microscopes, and in other cases more than three colors are wanted. In these cases the taking-screen above described may be ruled or covered with two, or more than three, transparent colors, and the black and white screen would be ruled or covered in a corresponding manner. Again, while a black and white screen is above described, instead of black or opaque areas one may employ areas which merely retard the action of light in such wise that the light passing through the white areas will have finished its work before the light through the retarding or obscuring areas will have had time to injuriously affect the sensitive film.

In those cases wherein the transparent pigments are placed on the taking-screens in equal areas the opaque and transparent screen (or the equivalent described) may be used in obtaining prints from all the partial images. When the said areas of the taking-screen are not equal, a separate black and white screen for each partial image may be required, if such screen is used.

WVe are aware of British Patent No. 14,161., dated July 23, 1894, granted to John Joly,

. and do not claim to be inventors of anything therein described.

\Vhat we claim is-- 1. The mode or artherein described of formin g printing surfaces for color-printing from a photograph from nature or artists work, which consists in first making a subdivided photographic representation, composed of differing partial images in side-byside areas of the representation, then producing photographically a separate partial print for and from each partial image, and then producing a printing block or surface for and from each partial photo-print, substantially as described.

2. The mode or art herein described of formin g a photographic print from any one of differing partial images forming parts of a subdivided photographic representation of a multicolored object and formed or lying in sideby-side areas of the representation, which consists in forming a print of the desired partial image by means of the action of light from or through the chosen partial image and through a screen having side-by-side area-s respectively light-retarding or opaque and light transmitting, the transmitting areas thereof exposing the chosen partial image and the retarding or opaque areas thereof obscuring or stopping out the remainder of the said partial images during the printing, substantially as described.

3. The mode or art herein described of forming a photographic print from any one of differing partial images forming parts of a subdivided photographic representation of a multicolored object and formed or lying in sideby-side areas of the representation, which consists in forming a print of the desired partial image by means of the action of light from or through the chosen partial image and through a screen having side-by-side areasrespectively light-retarding or opaque and lighttransmitting, the transmitting areas thereof exposing the chosen partial image and the retardin g or opaque areas thereof obscuring or stopping out the remainder of the said partial images during the printing, and in cansing relative motion of the image-bearer and.

screen taken as one, and the print film, during the printing, to expose new or additional areas of the print film to the action of the light from or through the said partial image, substantially as described.

4. The mode or art herein described of forming a photographic print from any one of differing partial images. forming parts of a subdivided photographic representation of a multicolored object and formed or lying in sideby-side areas of the representation, which consist-s in exposing a sensitive film to the action of light from or through one of said partialimages, and in stepping out the remainder of said partial images, substantially as described.

5. The mode or art herein described of forming a' photographic print from any one of differing partial images forming parts of a subdivided photographic representation of a multicolored object and formed or lying in sideby-side areas of the representation, which consists in exposing a sensitive film to the action of light from or through one of said partial images, in stopping out the remainder of said partial images, and in causing relative motion of the image-bearer and screen taken as one, and the print film, during the printing, to expose new or additional areas of the print film to the action of the light from or through the said partial image, substantially as described. I

6. The mode or art herein described of for1ning printingsurfaces for color-printing from a photograph from nature or artists work, which consists in first making a subdivided photographic representation composed of differing partial images in sideby-side areas of the representation; second, producing photographically a separate partial print for and from each partial image, each by exposing a sensitive film to the action of light from or New York and State of New York, this 13th day of April, A. D. 1896.

SEBASTIEN P. SAMPOLO. CHARLES L. A. BRASSEUR.

\Vitnesses:

RICHARD W. BARKLEY, CHARLES A. BRODEN. 

